The Most Common Applications of Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is found in various forms like plates, coils and sheets. The following factors have contributed towards making stainless steel apt for various commercial applications:

Resistance to corrosion

Robustness

100% recyclability

Low maintenance

Long life span

Medical: Stainless steel is best-suited for use in hygienic environments like medical facilities due to its properties like easy sterility and resistance to corrosion. It is also ideal for use in construction of dental and surgical equipment, operation tables as well as necessary medical supplies like MRI scanners like cannulas, steam sterilisers and cannulas. Stainless steel is used in surgical implants like artificial hips and other replacement joints. Stainless steel is also used to put the broken bones in place.

Architecture and construction: Properties like strength, flexibility and corrosion-resistance make stainless steel ideal for use in architectural features. High impact buildings use stainless steel for exterior cladding. Even in the interiors of such buildings, stainless steel is used in the interior portions of the buildings like handrails, back-splashes and counter-tops.

Food and catering industries: Stainless steel has wide applications across the food and catering industry as it is used widely in cutlery, cookware and kitchen accessories. The grades of steel which have less ductility are useful in making knife blades having sharp edges. On the other hand, the grades of steel which have higher ductility are used for products like sinks, grills, cookers and saucepans that can be moulded into shapes like. If you want your food to retain its flavour, it is best to use stainless steel which plays a crucial role in food storage and production, the metal’s corrosion resistance helps in keeping away the acidity of orange juice. Stainless steel prevents the food from getting infested by undesirable germs due to its anti-microbial properties. Stainless steel is also known for its purpose of being used as a finish on dishwashers, refrigerators, and countertops.

Energy-related industries: Gas, chemical and oil industries which operate in demanding environments that are exposed to high toxicity. Special grades of stainless steel capable for resistance to corrosion in extremely high ranges of temperatures are used in these industries. High-grade stainless steel is crucial in the construction of valves, storage tanks; pipes. Stainless steel is widely used in off-shore oil rigs. Crude oil being extremely corrosive, these rigs need to be constructed from high alloyed steel as such an alloy is durable and lightweight.

Scientific laboratories: Inside a science lab, stainless steel is rampantly used in the following:

counter-tops

sinks, chairs, tables and desks

scientific utensils

mobile cabinets

fume hoods

drain troughs

Stainless steel is ideal to be used in a science lab setting particularly because of its properties like non-porosity, resistance to corrosion anti-bacterial properties. Get in touch with stainless steel and aluminium suppliers in South Africato buy top quality stainless steel products.

Residential uses: The same properties of stainless steel that make it ideal for use in commercial food catering industries are the ones that also make it ideal for use inside a residence. Its sleek, polished look it is used as a material for various kitchen appliances.

Hence stainless steel is one of the most popular metals found and used all over the world.